Giffords successor Barber to renew 'On Your Corner' events

6/21/12 4:12 PM EDT

A year and a half ago, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was speaking to constituents at a “Congress On Your Corner” event in Arizona when a gunman opened fire. Six were killed and 13 were injured, including Giffords and her aide and now successor, Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.).

On Thursday, two days after he was sworn into office, Barber announced he is reviving “Congress On Your Corner” events: His first will be Saturday at a Safeway in Tucson, a 25-minute drive from where the shooting occurred.

“This event is the first of many I will hold so that I can be accessible to all of my constituents throughout Southern Arizona,” Barber said. “I will not become isolated in Washington. My work at the Capitol will be influenced by what I hear and learn here in Arizona.”

The gathering is expected to last an hour and a half.

Barber cast his first votes Tuesday after being sworn in. He was shot in the face and leg during the January 2011 shooting.